The Journey - May 29, 2015

Today's Passage: Psalm 78:1-8
Key Verses: Psalm 78:5-7
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

Remember the elementary school assignment of "Show and Tell?" It was a great time to bring a favorite toy, a cool picture, or even a real live person to show your classmates and tell them about the thing . . . or person. "Show and Tell," however, is not just a childhood exercise.

The tradition of spiritual instruction is to teach our children the essentials of the faith and show them how it works. When we teach our children and they see how it works in real life, they will, in turn, teach their children. Effective teaching today allows us to instruct "even children yet to be born."

Now, here's the trick of parenting by "Show and Tell." What we say will be either confirmed or denied by what we do. Let's face it; the onus of teaching is on the teacher, not the learner.

Lord Jesus, please help us teach our children well. Help us to not nullify our words by our actions. Help us to teach our children about you. Then help us show them what it looks like to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In your name. Amen.